1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF AN OFFICE BUILDING, ENGINE RUNNING AND GEAR SHIFT IN PARK. THE DRIVER GOT OUT TO DROP OFF AN ENVELOPE AT THE OFFICE AND AS SHE ENTERED THE BUILDING THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED, UNDER POWER, BACKWARD INTO TWO OTHER VEHICLES DAMAGING ALL THREE VEHICLES. THE PARKING BRAKE HAD NOT BEEN APPLIED BECAUSE THE DRIVER EXPECTED THE "PARK POSITION" OF THE SHIFTER TO BE ADEQUATE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM MOVING. DAIMLER/CHRYSLER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY HAD AN INVESTIGATOR LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. HE CONCLUDED THAT THE PARKING PAWL, TRANSMISSION LINKAGE AND ALL ASSOCIATED PARTS ARE OPERATING PROPERLY. THEIR DECISION WAS, THAT BECAUSE THE "RECOMMENDATIONS" IN THE VEHICLE MANUAL WEREN'T FOLLOWED, THEY HAD NO OBLIGATION IN THE MATTER. THE DRIVEWAY WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED HAD ENOUGH SLOPE THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE ROLLED FREELY IF IT HAD NOT BEEN PLACED IN PARK. ALTHOUGH THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT SIMILAR INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED, ( I.E. CONSUMER COMPLAINTS IN THE NHTSA DATABASE) DAIMLER/CHRYSLER HAS NOT NOTIFIED US THAT THISCOULD BE A POSSIBLE PROBLEM. *AK